WILMINGTON — The man accused of causing a car crash and subsequent explosion at the Eastern Carolina Veterinary Medical Center on New Centre Drive made his first appearance in New Hanover County court Wednesday. A judge increased his bond amount tenfold.
READ MORE: Video: Explosion near New Centre Drive injures 3 firefighters, evacuates area business
Jason Lee Beach, 46, of Wilmington, is facing charges including felony serious injury by vehicle, possession of drug paraphernalia, hit and run, reckless driving, and failure to maintain lane following the incident on Tuesday. Upon being charged, he was originally given a $100,000 bond by the magistrate, but Judge Sandra Ray increased it to $1 million.
Ray said she strayed from traditional guidelines as suggested by the Superior Court and Chief District Court judges. She noted some cases don’t always qualify under the standards: “In my opinion, this is one of them.”
The crash ruptured a 2-inch gas line at the veterinary clinic, leading to a large explosion. At a press conference hosted by the Wilmington Fire Department on Wednesday, WFD Fire Marshal Chris Walker explained “any number of ignition sources” like HVAC units or light switches inside the building could have sparked the gas.
The explosion happened as firefighters were inside the building to measure the levels of natural gas leaking from the rupture. They made sure the building was evacuated and a couple of crew members radioed to command they would be evacuating after detecting natural gas levels, some of which were elevated.
“That building was filling with gas very quickly,” WFD Chief Steve Mason said.
Minutes within the firefighters reaching the top floor of the vet clinic, the explosion occurred and crews had to escape from the second floor.
“The worst words you can hear come across the radio are ‘mayday, mayday, mayday,'” Mason said, noting fear took over weighing potential injuries or even casualties.
Around 360 gallons of oxygen tanks were located on the second floor and accelerated the fuel, as was the natural gas leak before it was shut off.
By 7 p.m. when the scene was cleared, five firefighters were injured; originally it was reported three were hurt on Tuesday right after the explosion happened, around 11:30 a.m. Mason explained three firefighters were treated for concussion-related injuries at Novant Health Medical Center and have since been released. A fourth firefighter sustained a shoulder injury and has since been released from the hospital.
The most seriously injured firefighter had second- and third-degree burns on his hands and arms. He has been transferred to the UNC Burn Center in Chapel Hill, where he is undergoing surgery Wednesday.
Prosecutor Lauren Bowman said during Beach’s first appearance in court that additional charges for causing serious injury to the first responders could also be brought forth.
Judge Ray detailed the potential penalties for the current charges. Beach faces up to 59 months in prison for the class F felony charge of felony serious injury by vehicle. Additionally, he could get 120 days for each of the two class one misdemeanor charges and up to 60 days for the class two misdemeanor charge. Beach requested court-appointed counsel.
The judge ordered that Beach, who appeared virtually from the New Hanover County Detention Center, be placed on pre-trial electronic monitoring and house arrest if he posts bond. His movement is limited to court, medical appointments and work; he has been explicitly ordered not to drive while the case is ongoing.
During the hearing, Bowman detailed the state’s case, noting witnesses saw Beach flee the scene after the crash. A witness allegedly followed him and watched him discard a canister of nitrous oxide or “Galaxy Gas” into a trash receptacle at a nearby 7-Eleven, which police later recovered.
Often called “whippets,” the nitrous oxide “displaces the oxygen from the brain and gives them a high and obviously impairs their cognitive ability and ability to operate machinery,” WPD Lt. Greg Willett described at the WFD press conference.
Willett added multiple witnesses called 911 to describe the vehicle and even relayed a tag number to police. It was located by another patrol officer in the 3100 block of Market Street.
The state argued to Judge Ray that Beach is a flight risk, citing the hit-and-run nature of the incident and a lack of a permanent New Hanover County address. Bowman also noted Beach may have prior convictions in Alabama and Arizona, a detail the defense requested the state verify.
Beach’s next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 4 in courtroom 302 at the New Hanover County Courthouse.
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